Custom-hand built bikes...

[Carldeenio]

Was scouring the net for bike stuff, as u do when u've got time to kill. And i found this bike. This guy has pretty much built everything from the frame to the stem. Even his own forks.

I love it, what does everyone else think.

More pics at: http://www.pinkbike.com/photo/?op=list&ROWINDEX=0&function=myphotos&photouserid=1577

http://photo.pinkbike.com/photo/689/pbpic689682.jpg

http://photo.pinkbike.com/photo/689/pbpic689679.jpg

[Will]

:woot: WOW that looks mean, I love the forks, it looks like it won't break very easily either. :woot:

[Will]

Looking at his other picture I think that he made the Hubs too, clever guy.

[jack]

that frame looks sweet. speaking of custom built..... ben's wee beast of a street frame is coming along nicely. it'll be good to see that when it rolls off the production line! so what does framebuilder ben think?

[DAN HART]

that guys a genius. its amazing what you can do with the right tools. is ben building a frame from scratch?

[Baker]

That is a beauty. It looks really chunky and mean. Those forks are awsome too I like the way they are upside down. My dad says it isn't black enough though hahahahaha.

[Ben]

attempting too anyway although there is a hell of a lot more involved than you think, that frame is really nice very similar to the Nicoli (right spelling) not sure about the forks though, by the looks of it they only have about 80-100mm of travel. I suppose the thing with building your own frame, forks and stem is the steerer tube can be as big as you like (in this case a 1.5" it looks like. 12 pinch bolts!
http://photo.pinkbike.com/photo/569/pbpic569100.jpg

[Kenny B]

I love the whole idea of building things absolutely from scratch. Even if you have to sacrifice on technology thatthe big firms can employ, it's worth it just for the originality and satisfaction. I had a mate in the early eighties who built a motorbike using two 1000CC (tuned) Hilman Imp engines geared together using straight-cut gears from a Rolls-Royce RB211 engine - you should have heard it "whirr" It had 4 twin-choke Weber carbs fed from air intakes shaped like F15 engine intakes.He called it the "Betson Eight" It was an absolute monster but really special and there wasn't another like it in the world.

[Will]

:woot: that car OK bike then sounds awsome in my head what was it's top speed etc. did he ever race it?

[DAN HART]

So when are we going to see pictures of your creation ben? or is it not at any real build stage yet?

[dave_mawe]

It would be quite hard for him to drive his handbuilt car when he built a hand made motorbike;)

[Ben]

oooh the sarcasm...
At the mo' the BB (bmx shell) downtube (38mm steel) and 1 1/8" headtube are joined, i did get the top tube and seat tube connected although during welding the seatube twisted so both were hack sawed off, i have made a mod' to the standover height, the top tube is currently at a fabricators getting bent to size and the seat tube is getting reduced to 14". No pics as yet, will wait until the front triangle is complete

[jack]

i've seen the jig and frame so far, and what i saw was shaping up very nicely and is looking quite individual. have you thought anymore about the seatstays yet???

[Ben]

Yes, think 24bicycles seat tube with evil bikes adjustible dropouts, i only have 6 weeks left so its cutting it fine as one of those weeks it would be at the powder coaters

[mr fish]

i only have 6 weeks left so its cutting it fine as one of those weeks it would be at the powder coaters

i don't think the examiners will give a toss about the paint finish,i would spend that week on the construction,get it painted some other time ;)

[DAN HART]

a lad at my old school, branston cc, made a massive cruiser bike out of laminating 1mm boards together to make a big ply frame. it was amazing. sanded and clear varnished. the only metal in it was head tube, seat tube, bb and dropouts, all the rest was self supporting. he put a shimano geared hub on the back and some old Z1 bams with a disc brake on the front. that alone got him a place on a product design course at uni. ill try contact him and get a pic.

[Kenny B]

:woot: that car OK bike then sounds awsome in my head what was it's top speed etc. did he ever race it?

The Betson 8 was stupidly fast, handled like a piano snapped chains (or drive shafts - I can't remember) and never raced. But he did ride it to Europe one year and it looked cool enough to be featured in MCN. I lost touch soon after but his next project was going to be a trike for his wife, built around a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine (spitfire / Lancaster)!!!

[jack]

sounds good. mr fish is right though, worry about the construction then get it powdercoated IF theres time.